


Loud Dance

by Amagifu



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Erebor Reclaimed, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-04
Updated: 2017-06-04
Packaged: 2018-11-08 22:11:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11090958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amagifu/pseuds/Amagifu
Summary: Accompanied by Bofur, a momentary glimpse at post-BOTFA Erebor





	Loud Dance

The music thundered throughout every corner of the great hall, and Tavia was convinced that it could be heard across the length and breadth of the Lonely Mountain. Shawms, pipes, and drums; with such potent instruments, even Oin would have no difficulty appreciating the tune. It was lively, its tempo quick and infectious; bystanders who ringed the perimeter of the great hall soon found themselves tapping feet or clapping hands in time. And if they drew too close to the edge of the clearing where the dancers commanded the only clear space within sight, they were swept in and quickly encouraged or cajoled to join in the lines or circles that formed as each dance dictated for its repeating pattern.

Tavia was no stranger to the allure of social dances, as the town where she hailed from held them during the various seasonal festivals. But even when encouraged by drink or pretty faces, those dances might draw at best a few dozen people into a reel or jig. The race of Men simply had a shyness about that sort of thing. What she now witnessed was staggering to her; hundreds of dwarves, with a smattering of her fellow men among them, stomping and moving in time to the music such that the drums almost weren’t necessary. And thus was the celebration underway, as Erebor hosted a contingent from Dale to join in the summer solstice observances with numerous folks from the Iron Hills and the Gray Mountains.

Unconsciously, Tavia edged closer to the dancing as she looked for familiar faces among the crowd. There was Dori, within the innermost circle of dancers, with Balin on one side of him and poor Ori on the other, all spiraling around one of the shawm players who had leapt down from where the rest of the musicians had been playing and had threaded his way into the thick of the dancers. They cheered him on as he expertly played an intricate solo verse of the song, and the young woman shook her head in wonder at such musical skill.

As the music wound down to the cheering of all assembled, the brush of a hand against her elbow was the only warning she had, before Tavia felt herself being tugged forward into the fray.

“What? Hey!”

The source of that tugging grinned at her from beneath his ever-present hat. “Come on, Tavia! No fun there on the edge, not with a new reel about to start up.“

“Bofur, this crowd is thick as thieves out here! Have you lost your mind?” The protest was only for show, as getting into the thick of the dancing was exactly what Tavia hoped would happen before long. Despite having dwelt near and worked with the residents of the Lonely Mountain for some time, she still was uncertain how to approach many of the dwarves on a purely social level such as this, not wanting to cause a cultural misunderstanding, However, when someone like Bofur took the social lead, she happily followed.

Her soon-to-be-partner chuffed a laugh as he led the way through the happy throng. “My mind? Pfft, lost that when I first agreed to follow him here.” Still grinning, he pointed with his chin towards the center of the floor, where Thorin was organizing another circle of dancers into action, reminding those with him of the pattern of the new dance when the music began again.

Steering Tavia between two groups of dancers, Bofur headed for Thorin’s set and nodded almost to himself. “Good to see him set the crown aside for a little while.” As they approached, Bofur glanced over his shoulder and winked at Tavia, raising his voice loud enough for all to hear. “Thorin is giving it a fair go out here, but he’s a musician first and dancer second. We should show him how this is done, eh?”


End file.
